By Amar Raj Naharki
Tanahun, July 11: Police arrested two helpers of the morgue in Damauli Hospital on charges of stealing jewellery from a woman’s dead body kept for autopsy.
The dead body was of Saraswati Thapa, a resident of Ward No. 3 of Bandipur Rural Municipality who had died in landslide on July 1. One of her ear was cut off to steal her gold earring weighing 48 Lal (0.48 Tola).
“We found that the earring was stolen when we saw a cut on Saraswati’s right ear,” said Mahadev Ale, Saraswati’s elder brother.
Ale further added that they have a tradition of removing a deceased’s jewellery only when the body is taken for its last ritual. “The photo taken by police while rescuing Saraswati’s body from landslide shows that she had her earring. But, after autopsy it disappeared with a cut on her ear. If there wasn’t a cut, we would have thought it would have fallen off somewhere.”
Saraswati’s family then asked for investigation by informing the District Police Office, Tanahun.
The police then detained Damodar Poudel and Bal Bahadur Ale, two hospital helpers involved in the autopsy of Saraswati. The duo is said to have confessed to the crime.
Nevertheless, the duo is said to have provided Rs. 44,000 as compensation to the family of Saraswati on Friday. Poudel and Ale paid Rs. 22,000 each for it.
“The family didn’t file a written complaint about it but we were only informed orally. Since they received the compensation, the family might have not filed a written complaint against the duo,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Yubaraj Timilsina.
Meanwhile, when inquired about the incident with the hospital officials, Dr. Sunil Poudyal, chief of the hospital, informed that they had called the duo for inquiry when the deceased’s family told them about the earring’s disappearance.
“The duo didn’t accept the accusations when we called them for inquiry due to which we requested Saraswati’s family to reach out the police,” said Dr. Poudyal.
Poudel and Ale are said to have been added as hospital helpers on a contract basis due to lack of manpower amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Since the duo gave compensation to the family of Saraswati, we will investigate the issue as well and take necessary actions until Sunday. If they didn’t accept the crime when we asked, they shouldn’t have had paid the compensation if they were not guilty,” said Dr. Poudyal.
When asked the duo about the accusations, they denied their involvement.
“There was jewellery in her ear until the autopsy and I was not there when the body was handed over to the family,” said Ale.
The duo stated that they paid the compensation as they faced discomfort and stress due to continuous surveillance by police for two days.